The present invention relates to a lawnmower mountable trimming device and more particularly pertains to allowing a person mowing a lawn to trim areas where a lawnmower cannot reach.
Currently, homeowners and lawn cutting company""s separately utilize lawnmowers to first cut a lawn, and then utilize a trimmer to cut the areas of the lawn that the lawnmower was unable to reach in order to cut. This procedure tends to take a great length of time to accomplish the task of manicuring a lawn. Sometimes, lawn cutting company""s hire multiple workers who are responsible for trimming while another employee handles the mowing. These examples illustrate the need for a device that will allow the mowing and trimming of a lawn to be performed at the same time with a single machine.
The present invention attempts to solve the above mentioned problem by providing a device that will allow one person to mow and trim a lawn with one single machine.
The use of lawn cutting equipment is known in the prior art. More specifically, lawn cutting equipment heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of cutting lawns are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,488 to Duncan discloses a lawn trimmer device pivotally connected to the side of a lawnmower. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,170,099 and 4,642,976, both by Owens, discloses trimmer attachments for a power lawnmower, drive by the mower engine.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objective and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a lawnmower mountable trimming device for allowing a person mowing a lawn to trim areas where a lawnmower cannot reach.
In this respect, the lawnmower mountable trimming device according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of allowing a person mowing a lawn to trim areas where a lawnmower cannot reach.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved lawnmower mountable trimming device which can be used for allowing a person mowing a lawn to trim areas where a lawnmower cannot reach. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
In the view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of lawn cutting equipment now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved lawnmower mountable trimming device. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved lawnmower mountable trimming device which has all the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a mounting bracket adapted for coupling with the deck of the lawnmower. An inner arm is provided that is extendible outwardly with respect to the mounting bracket. The inner arm has a first end and a second end. The first end is pivotally coupled with the mounting bracket. The second end has a gear disposed thereon. An outer arm is provided that is extendible outwardly with respect to the inner arm. The outer arm has a first end and a second end. The first end of the outer arm also has a gear so that the first end of the outer arm is coupled with the second end of the inner arm wherein the gear of the outer arm is engaged with the gear of the inner arm. A bridge piece is pivotally connected to both the first end of the outer arm and second end of the inner arm. A connecting rod attaches the deck with the bridge piece. The connecting rod is attached to the deck at a point distinct from the point of pivotal attachment of inner arm thereto, creating eccentric movement of the bridge piece as the inner arm pivots with respect to the deck. A trimmer portion is coupled with the second end of the outer arm. The trimmer portion includes a protective shield extending downwardly from the second end of the outer arm, a motor disposed below the protective shield, and one or more cutting lines extending outwardly therefrom. A wound spring is disposed at the inner arm pivot point of the deck to bias the inner arm into an extended position. An activation lever causes the inner and outer arms to extend outwardly from the lawnmower may be solenoid activated to automate retraction and extension of the trimmer. The wound spring allows the trimmer to retract and fold against the deck when a obstacle is encountered, and biases the trimmer outward so that it will re-extend once the obstacle is cleared.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved lawnmower mountable trimming device which has all the advantages of the prior art lawn cutting equipment and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved lawnmower mountable trimming device which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved lawnmower mountable trimming device which is of durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved lawnmower mountable trimming device which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such a lawnmower mountable trimming device economically available to the buying public.
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved lawnmower mountable trimming device for allowing a person mowing a lawn to trim areas where a lawnmower cannot reach.
Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved lawnmower mountable trimming device including a mounting bracket adapted for coupling with the deck of the lawnmower. An inner arm is provided that is extendible outwardly with respect to the mounting bracket. An outer arm is provided that is extendible outwardly with respect to the inner arm. A trimmer portion is coupled with the outer arm. The trimmer portion includes a protective shield extending downwardly from the outer arm. The trimmer portion includes a motor disposed below the protective shield, and an adjustment knob which threads onto an adjustment rod to adjust trimming height. A wound spring is disposed within the inner arm. The coil spring selectively extends and retracts trimmer with respect to the lawnmower.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.